Maungdaw, Arakan State (Rohingya Vision) – The Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) has demanded ransom from the sanctuary committee of a mosque in southern Maungdaw for repairing the mosque’s ‘tower for call to prayer.’

The tower for call to prayer (Aadhan) of the Mosque in ‘Inn Din’ village in southern Maungdaw was damaged by the Cyclone Komen in the region few months ago. Therefore, the Rohingya Muslim sanctuary committee of the mosque has repaired the merely 5-feet-tall tower by replacing the damaged tower-post with a new one.

Therefore, Captain Lin Lin Naing the in-charge of the camp of the Border Guard Police in ‘Inn Din’ village, summoned the sanctuary committee of the mosque to his camp on October 13. And he demanded Kyat 1 Million from the committee accusing them of repairing the whole mosque.

The BGP Captain threatened the committee members that he would send them to prison if they fail to fulfil his demand. Hence, the committee members are really worried now, according to a local Rohingya in the region.

The President Thein Sein gave instructions to repair any sanctuary structures damaged by the cyclone during his visit to the township post the natural disaster in early August. However, the authorities at lower level have begun to threaten the Mosque Committees and to demand money for the repairs of the mosques and other religious buildings. And when the committees were to fulfil their demands, they have ordered to destroy the sanctuary buildings.